Pocahontas (1995)
Based on the life of a historical figure, a Powhatan woman named Pocahontas, and the arrival of English colonial settlers from the Virginia Company.
Intro song (“The Virginia Company”). In 1607, the Susan Constant travels from London to the New World, carrying English settlers from the Virginia Company as well as the voyage’s leader Governor Ratcliffe. The settlers, including Captain John Smith, talk of adventure, finding gold, fighting "Injuns" and potentially settling in the new land.
Intro song (“Steady as the Beating Drum”). Located in Werowocomoco, Tesnacommacah, Virginia is the Powhatan tribe; Chief Powhatan returns from battle and discusses with his daughter, Pocahontas, about being possibly wed to Kocoum, a warrior whom she sees as too serious for her own free-spirited personality. Pocahontas sings (“Just Around the Riverbend”).
Pocahontas visits Grandmother Willow, a spiritual talking willow tree, to discuss her dream about a spinning arrow (“Listen With Your Heart”). The dream alerts her to the arriving English.
Governor Ratcliffe, who only seeks wealth and status, has Jamestown built in a wooded clearing and immediately has the crewmen dig for gold while John departs to explore the wilderness (“Mine, Mine, Mine”). John encounters Pocahontas. At first, she hides her ability to speak English, but Grandmother Willow lets her know there is nothing to be afraid of. They quickly bond, fascinated by each other's worlds (“Colors of the Wind”), and end up falling in love. After a fight between settlers and natives, Powhatan orders the natives to stay away from the Englishmen. Pocahontas, however, disobeys him and keeps meeting with John. Unfortunately, Pocahontas's best friend, Nakoma, discovers the secret relationship and warns Kocoum. Ratcliffe also learns of John's encounters and angrily warns him against sparing any Natives.
Later, John and Pocahontas meet with Grandmother Willow and plan to bring peace between the colonists and the tribe. While by both parties spy on the couple, John and Pocahontas share a kiss. Furious, Kocoum attacks and attempts to kill John, but a young settler, Thomas, who had been ordered by Ratcliffe to follow John, intervenes and kills Kocoum. John orders Thomas to leave before the tribesmen arrive and capture John, before retrieving Kocoum’s body. Enraged at Kocoum's death, Powhatan angrily berates Pocahontas for leaving the village and declares war on the English, beginning with John's execution at dawn.
After reaching Jamestown, Thomas warns the settlers of John's capture. Ratcliffe then rallies his men to battle, using this as an excuse to annihilate the tribe and find their nonexistent gold. That same night, Powhatan also orders his men to prepare for battle (“Savages”). A desperate Pocahontas visits Grandmother Willow and realizes the arrow from John's compass is the same spinning arrow from her dream, which leads to her destiny. Morning comes, and Powhatan and his tribe drag John to a cliff for his execution. Meanwhile, Ratcliffe leads the armed colonists to fight Powhatan's warriors. Just as Powhatan is about to execute John and start the war, Pocahontas intervenes and finally convinces him to end the fighting between the two groups and spare John's life. Both sides stand down, and John is released. Unmoved, Ratcliffe orders his men to attack anyway, but they refuse. Ratcliffe fires his musket at Powhatan, but John takes the shot to save him. Livid, the settlers turn on Ratcliffe and detain him for hurting their comrade.
John is nursed back to health by the tribe but must return to England for his wounds to fully heal. Ratcliffe is also sent back to face punishment for his crimes against the settlement. John asks Pocahontas to come with him, but she chooses to stay with her tribe to help keep the peace. John leaves without Pocahontas, but with Powhatan's blessing to return anytime in the future. At the end, Pocahontas stands atop a cliff, watching the ship carrying John depart (“Colors of the Wind”).
TRIVIA
Visual Style
The art director Michael Giamio utilized a painting style of shape-based and secondary art details. He relied on a color-saturated, elegant designs in a less-than-realistic format inspired by prehistory Caribbean themes and creatures derived from African/Mexican folk art. Giamio also drew the look and style of the film from the filmmaker's numerous visits to Jamestown, Virginia as well as by extensive research into the colonial period such as the tall, vertical shapes of the Virginian pine forests set against the vast horizontal landscapes being incorporated into the layout aspect of the film in its use of strong vertical and horizontal imagery, as well as sought out inspiration from the works produced by earlier Disney art designers such as Richard Kelsey's story sketches from his unproduced film Hiawatha, Eyvind Earle who worked on Sleeping Beauty, and Mary Blair.
Technology
Grandmother Willow was animated using a 3D software program, which was employed for the bark to be individually manipulated and for the face to match with the computer-generated texture.
Music
Features music and lyrics by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz
Notable Scene(s)
“Colors of the Wind”